Dispatches from Nagasaki No.17
The Reaction in Nagasaki to Reports on Obama Administration “No-First-Use” Nuclear Weapons Policy
On July 10, 2016, the Washington Post in the US reported that the Obama Administration was considering the adoption of a policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons. Mr. Tomihisa Taue, Mayor of Nagasaki, joined with Hiroshima Mayor Matsui in sending a joint letter on August 10 to the Japanese government asking it to stand behind the United States’ move toward a no-first-use nuclear weapons policy. In the letter, they wrote that “the direction taken in this reassessment is in line with Japanese government policy to date,” and called on the government to exercise leadership as the only country that has experienced nuclear bombing.
On July 22, RECNA issued a “Statement on ‘No-First-Use’ Nuclear Policy” (https://www.recna.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/recna/en-recnaseye/no6-en) in which it expressed the view that the Japanese government should support the no-first-use policy. On July 27, the three organizations of the Japan Congress Against A- and H-Bombs, the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center, and the Nuclear Information website also sent a letter to Prime Minister Abe asking that he support the no-first-use policy. In the letter, they declared that “A country that has experienced nuclear bombing should not interfere with movements that reduce the nuclear risk.” (Chugoku Shimbun, July 28, 2016)
On the Nagasaki side, the Organizing Committee of the Nagasaki Global Citizens’ Assembly for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (Organizing Committee Chairman Masao Tomonaga) held a press conference at the Nagasaki City Hall on the 27th announcing that they had visited the US Ambassador and presented a petition on the 26th. The petition called for President Obama to make a visit to Nagasaki, where it asked that he “announce to the world his appeal and his resolve to make Nagasaki the last place to be subjected to nuclear attack.” (Nagasaki Shimbun, July 27, 2016) Then, on August 9, a joint letter consisting of a single sentence asking Prime Minister Abe not to obstruct the adoption of a no-first-use nuclear weapons policy by the Obama Administration was sent from Nagasaki by atomic bomb survivors’ organizations and nuclear disarmament experts from around the world. (International Open Letter Calling on the Japanese Government Not to Object to a US Nuclear Weapons No First Use Policy, “Please do not oppose a US pledge not to be a first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict, August 9, 2016, http://kakujoho.net/npt/lttr_nfu2.html) Among the signers were Hideo Tsuchiyama (former President of Nagasaki University), Chairman Masao Tomonaga of the Organizing Committee of the Nagasaki Global Citizens’ Assembly for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, President Toyoichi Ihara of the Society of Hibakusha Certificate Holders of Nagasaki Prefecture, and President Keiji Matsuda of the Nagasaki Prefectural Council Against A- and H-Bombs, among others.
However, a report that the Japanese government did oppose this for the reason that “the no-first-use nuclear weapons policy would weaken nuclear deterrence” was published in the US by the Wall Street Journal of August 12. Nagasaki Mayor Taue responded during his regular press conference on the 17th, saying that “if (this stance of opposition) were confirmed, then a protest or some form of appeal to the Japanese government would probably be made.” (Asahi Shimbun, August 19, 2016)
On August 16, the Asia Pacific Leadership for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament issued a statement supporting adoption of a no-first-use nuclear weapons policy. It was signed by 45 experts from 15 countries. (http://www.a-pln.org/statements/statements_view/APLN_No_First_Use_Statement_2016)
The signers from Japan included Yoriko Kawaguchi, former Foreign Minister of Japan, Nobuyasu Abe, Commissioner of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, and Tatsujiro Suzuki, Director, Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition.
As is apparent, therefore, the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many experts, citizens’ groups, and atomic bomb survivors’ organizations, among others, support the no-first-use nuclear weapons policy. Although they called on the Japanese government not to obstruct the adoption of that policy, however, the New York Times of September 6 reported that the Obama Administration appeared likely to put off that policy change, in part due to opposition from allied nations.
オバマ政権の「核先制不使用」報道に対する長崎の反応
2016年7月10日、米ワシントンポスト紙が、「オバマ政権が核兵器先制不使用」政策の採用を検討している、との報道があった。これを受け、長崎田上市長は、広島松井市長とともに、8月10日、米国の核先制不使用政策を後押しするよう、政府に求める書簡を連名で提出した。書簡では、「今回の見直しの方向は、これまでの日本政府の政策に沿うもの」として、政府に唯一の被爆国としてリーダーシップを発揮するよう求めた。
7月22日には、ＲＥＣＮＡが「核兵器の第一不使用（先制不使用）に関する見解」（https://www.recna.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/recna/topics/13943）を発表し、その中で、日本政府は先制不使用を支持すべきとの見解を発表した。また、原水禁国民会議、原子力資料情報室、ウエブサイト核情報の3団体は、7月27日に安倍首相あてに先制不使用政策を支持するよう書簡を送った。書簡では、「被爆国が核リスクを減らす動きを妨げるべきではない」と訴えている。（中国新聞、2016年7月28日）
長崎からは、核兵器廃絶地球市民長崎実行委員会（朝長万左男実行委員長）が、27日、長崎市役所で会見し、26日に米大使館を訪問して、要望書を提出したことを発表した。要望書では、オバマ大統領の長崎訪問を要望するとともに、「長崎を最後の被爆地とする呼びかけと決意を長崎から世界に表明してほしい」と訴えた。（長崎新聞2016年7月27日）さらに、8月9日、オバマ政権が核先制不使用政策を採用するのを妨げないよう、安倍首相に求める1文だけの連名書簡を、被爆者団体や世界の核軍縮専門家らが長崎から発信した。（International Open Letter Calling on the Japanese Government Not to Object to a US Nuclear Weapons No First Use Policy, “Please do not oppose a US pledge not to be a first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict, August 9, 2016, http://kakujoho.net/npt/lttr_nfu2.html） この署名には、長崎から土山秀夫元長崎大学学長、朝長万左男核兵器廃絶地球市民長崎集会実行委員長、井原東洋一長崎被爆者手帳友の会会長、松田圭治原水爆禁止長崎県民会議会長等が参加している。
しかし、これに対し、日本政府が「核先制不使用は核抑止力を弱める」との理由で反対した、との報道が8月12日付米ウォール・ストリート・ジャーナル紙からなされた。これに対し、長崎田上市長は、17日の定例会見で「（反対姿勢が）確認されれば、抗議など、政府に何らかの働きかけをすることになると思う」と述べた（朝日新聞、2016年8月19日）
8月16日には、アジア太平洋核不拡散リーダーシップネットワーク（Asia Pacific Leadership for Nuclear Non-Proliferation）が、15か国の専門家45名の署名付きで、核先制不使用の採用を支持する声明を出した。（http://www.a-pln.org/statements/statements_view/APLN_No_First_Use_Statement_2016） これには、日本から川口順子元外相、阿部信泰原子力委委員長代理、鈴木達治郎ＲＥＣＮＡセンター長なども含まれている。
このように、広島・長崎市長をはじめ、多くの専門家、市民団体、被爆者団体等が核先制不使用政策を支持し、日本政府にその採用を妨げないよう要請しているが、9月6日付のニューヨークタイムス紙は、同盟国の反対などもあって、オバマ政権は政策変更を見送る見通しであることを報じた。
